Avs Look to Continue Momentum
With two straight victories on home ice, Colorado is looking to win a third consecutive game for the first time this season. The Avalanche has three two-game winning streaks this season, but only once-the most recent set of back-to-back wins against Winnipeg and Montreal-have both victories come at home.
From the coaching staff to the players, the Avs have emphasized positivity and sticking together no matter how bleak things may look throughout the current homestand, something they hope to carry through the remainder of the regular season.
"We're being positive, celebrating little things," netminder Calvin Pickard said following Colorado's 3-2 win over New Jersey on Thursday. "We got to be positive in here, on the ice, and we've been working, too. We've been working hard and playing our game, and when we do that we're going to have success."
Ottawa Power Play
While Ottawa's power play ranks 21st overall in the league with a 17.6-percent success rate, it's been far more successful on the road. The Senators have cashed in on 21.2 percent of their opportunities away from Canadian Tire Centre, giving them the seventh-ranked road power-play unit in the NHL.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson leads the Senators with 13 man-advantage points (two goals, 11 assists) on the road, while Mike Hoffman (five goals and six assists) and Dion Phaneuf (three goals and seven assists) have also been big road contributors on the power play.